62 BRITISH FERNS. 



are much elongated, tapering to a narrow point- sometimes, 



besides being narrowed, they are aurieled at the base, and 



deeply Ipbed. 

 This is a maritime species, occurring profusely on our 



south-western rocky coasts and in the Channel Isles, and 

 extending to France and Spain, to Ma- 

 FIG. 17. deira and the Canaries. 



In cultivation this Fern thrives most 

 luxuriantly in the atmosphere of a damp 

 hothouse, where it forms, in a compara- 

 tively short time, a dense ma,ss of the 

 deepest green, and often reaching a foot 

 and a half in length. In a cold frame, if 

 kept closed, well-established plants will 

 continue in health, progressing slowly, and 

 never acquiring half the size of those grown 

 in heat. In the climate of London it does 

 not prosper, nor, as far as we know, sur- 

 vive, if planted on exposed rockwork. 



This species, with the Lanceolate Spleen- 

 wort and the Maidenhair, are exceedingly 

 well adapted for Wardian cases in warm 

 sitting-rooms. All of them enjoy the 

 warmth and being all evergreens of mo- 

 derate size, and very elegant in structure, 

 they supply just what is wanted in such 

 situations. They should be planted on 

 elevated rockwork, in sandy peat-soil lying 

 in the interstices between the fragments of 

 stone; and when once established will 

 grow freely, provided they are not much 

 exposed to the sun, which they do not 

 like. 



SMOOTH EOCK SPLEENWORT. 



This is the Asplenium fontanum of bo- 

 tanists. Among its other names occur 

 Asplenium Halleri, P oly podium fontanum , 

 Aspidium fontanum, ana Aikyrium fonta- 

 num. _ 



It is a small tufted-growing species, 

 seldom seen more than three or four inches 

 high. The small fronds are evergreen, 

 and mostly grow nearly upright ; they aro 

 tanum. of a narrow, lanceolate form, rather rigid 



